Managerial capacity and digital government in the States: Examining the link between self-efficacy and perceived impacts of IT in public organizations

This paper examines the linkage between the self-efficacy of public managers to employ information technology (IT) and managerial perceptions of IT effects on the operations of public organizations. A conceptual model posits that computer self-efficacy is influenced by several factors such as organizational support, IT usage within the organization, and experiential knowledge. Furthermore, computer self-efficacy simultaneously affects managerial perceptions of IT impacts on organizational processes. Data from a national study of state program managers is employed to test five hypotheses regarding computer self-efficacy. Two stage least squares is then used to estimate the effect of computer self-efficacy on perceptions of IT impacts. Results indicate that the level of computer self-efficacy is influenced by the availability of IT training and the extent of IT usage within the organization. Computer self-efficacy is also shown to be associated with more positive perceptions of IT effects within public organizations.